Lord Darius Cantwell has returned from war to regency England a changed man.  Haunted by what he saw and still sees in his dreams, he trusts no one and does not believe anything to be the truth unless he, himself, sees proof.  Nothing proves this to him more than when he meets Claire McFarlane at a house party. Supposedly the wife of his now deceased friend, Darius refuses to believe her tale of woe that she was abandoned by her groom.  He doubts her protested innocence, and even though she needs his help, he remains unconvinced.  It will take more than Claire’s pleas to make him believe in her honesty. 

From the get go I found Darius to be a rude and hateful man.  He was traumatized, yes, but I just winced almost constantly from his hatefulness.  It wasn’t until I began to immerse myself further into the story that I started to understand him.  His was a classic case of post traumatic stress, and while that was not to be a diagnosis for hundreds of years, that’s what he experienced.  It’s a good thing Claire was tenacious.  Her caring for him, despite his animosity, made her a saint in my book, that’s for sure.

For a quick erotic read that will grab you by the throat and not let go, His for the Taking is an excellent choice. I couldn’t put it down and hated when it ended.